NEW MEXICO Monday Update!

One of CCNM’s priority bill, SB 97 Public Campaign Financing was not able to be heard in the Senate Rules committee this morning due to time constraints, but it will be back on the agenda for Wednesday morning!

This bill to improve New Mexico’s existing system of public campaign financing. New Mexico currently has three systems for public financing of campaigns: the Public Regulation Commission, Court of Appeals and the NM Supreme Court. On June 27, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the constitutionality of public campaign financing in the Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett decision. The ruling, however, struck down one mechanism used in some public financing programs, including New Mexico's Voter Action Act. While the current bill does not address what was struck down as far as matching funds, it does prohibit candidates who run unopposed from receiving more than 10% of the public funding available to them, and also prohibits the use of campaign funds for living expenses or compensation to the candidate or candidate’s family.

Other good governance bills that are coming up this week:

Click on the link for any committee and you will find the agenda, committee members, links for bills, analysis of bills and what committees they have been assigned to – as well as sponsors and co-sponsors.